Prime Video’s epic fantasy series based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, has returned for its second season. Set during the Second Age of Middle Earth, the show focuses on the various men, elves, and dwarves as they try to put aside old biases and stand together against the growing evil of Sauron (Charlie Vickers). Having succeeded in getting the elves to forge three rings of power, Sauron now works to manipulate his various enemies into battling one another as he uses the Elven smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to forge more rings with which he can dominate all of Middle Earth.
When Season 1 first premiered, Sauron’s true identity was not revealed. Instead, he was disguised as Halbrand, a man who meets Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and is seemingly on the side of good before his the revelation comes that he has been manipulating from the shadows all season. In place of Sauron’s position as the Dark Lord, the series created a new villain named Adar, played by Joseph Mawle . However, in Season 2, Mawle was replaced by Sam Hazeldine, but the question is, why?
Who Is Adar From ‘The Rings of Power?’
During the Elder Days of Middle Earth, Adar was one of the original elves captured by the first Dark Lord, Morgoth. He was tortured and twisted by Morgoth’s cruelty, and used to create the first generation of orcs. This earned him the title of “lord father,” among later generations of orcs. Eventually, Sauron released him from captivity, and shortly after, Morgoth was defeated and banished from the world. Sauron attempted to declare himself the next Dark Lord, but Adar had come to love the orcs as his children and did not appreciate how Sauron was willing to throw their lives away for his ambition. Thus, he led his orcs in rebellion and destroyed Sauron’s physical form (played by Jack Lowden).
Season 2 sees Adar and the orcs subjugating any surviving Southlanders they can find and killing those who won’t submit. Among his prisoners is Halbrand, the supposed king of the Southlands and Sauron’s current disguise. Halbrand convinces Adar that Sauron is not only alive but has allied with the elves to destroy Adar and his orcs. In exchange for the lives of the people of the Southlands, Halbrand promises to infiltrate the elves of Eregion while Adar gathers his armies to destroy them.
Why Was Adar’s Actor Replaced?
The decision to re-cast Adar came after Season 1. Mawle made a statement on X (Formerly Twitter) that he would be leaving the show. He announced that it was so he could explore other career opportunities, but said he enjoyed playing the character and was thrilled at the positive reception he received. Indeed, even among people who disliked The Rings of Power, support for Adar was strong. Mawle played him with a haunting aura of world-weariness. It helped audiences to pity him as much as they loathed him for his cruel actions towards the main characters. Now, Hazeldine is a fine actor and has appeared in hit fantasy shows like Netflix’s Sandman. His scenes so far in Season 2 demonstrate his ability to capture Adar’s inner pain and nuanced mix of love for the orcs and hatred for everyone else. As the rest of Season 2 plays out and Adar leads his orcs to war once more, audiences will have lots of opportunities to see how what is different about Hazeldine’s version of Adar.
The decision to re-cast Adar also stands out because of the character Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), a doctor from the Southlands who led her people in resistance against the orcs. Like Mawle, Boniadi declined to return for Season 2, so despite her character recovering from the injuries she sustained in battle, she is revealed to have died of lingering poison in Season 2 Episode 3, “The Eagle and the Scepter”. While Bronwyn’s role in the story was more inconsequential, and thus they could afford her death, Adar was clearly positioned as an important antagonist. In Season 1, he was the primary antagonist, especially since Sauron’s identity was unknown. While Season 2 primarily focuses on Sauron as our main villain, Adar still plays an important role, especially since he has an orc army and is forming alliances with the troll Damrod (voiced by Benjamin Walker) to attack Eregion.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available for streaming on Prime Video.
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